The Seaside Ghost
by A-Coward-with-Coffee
Summary: You swear that you see an apparition of sun kissed, rosy skin; golden locks and bright, alive eyes as his frown grows into a smile.


_**WARNINGS: **Minor references to suicide and drowning._

* * *

His lips are blue and he wears a soaked pair of obnoxiously red sneakers. That much has remained the same in rain and shine; summer and fall. You sit beside him, and observe the expanse of ink tinted waves which rises and falls in tandem with your heart.

Never did he disclose his name; never will you ask.

"What do you think hurts more?" He seems to collapse into himself as he hooks his pale arms around his denim clad legs "To lose it all in flames or for things to slip through your fingers as you drown?" His voice is crackling static upon the ocean's lulling hiss.  
"Well…" you hum thoughtfully, slowly returning your eyes to the dull evening ocean which occasionally clashes upon deadly rocks, dusting you with a thin spray of water which settles upon your bare arms like saline snowflakes "I don't know… Fire I guess? I'd rather suffer for a moment than die over a long time."

You're well acquainted with the terror in which your lungs seem to implode as it fights against relentless waves; the helplessness which pushes your head into the salty labyrinth of the sea as you claw to live. So you simply nod, forcefully expel those memories and focus on the goose bumps forming on your arms.  
The boy who you sit beside laughs and it seems neither mirthful nor amused as he avoids your curious stare and falls into a lapse of thought.

You never liked silence, though.

"I'm leaving to college, soon…" strangely, you seem to choke on these words which are empty in place of excitement. The feeling passes and you swear that you see an apparition of sun kissed, rosy skin; golden locks and bright, alive eyes as his frown grows into a smile.  
"Oh… Is that so?" his voice rings with good natured laughter as his transparent arm is slung around your shoulder gleeful "That's great, Sora!" All of your worry seems to dissipate when you notice how the smile on his thin lips reach his electric eyes which are crinkled in his moment of joy.

You find yourself swept up in his abrupt mood swing. You'd like to clap him on the back but you know that your hands will glide right through his intangible, emancipated body so you opt to grin at your nameless companion.  
"You ready for the best time of your life?" you feel the icy sensation of his arm leave your shoulder as he gestures wildly, voice ringing through the summer night  
"For one, you're professors actually give a shit and the people you meet are honestly worth your twelve year sentence." His grin seems to split across his pale face as he continues animatedly "They actually serve coffee on campus and –"His voice abruptly fails him as his arm movements completely cease. You watch in the darkness as he swallows thickly, eyes quickly darting to avoid your own as he clings to the soggy black fabric of his shirt.  
"What's wrong?" Immediately, the prospect of university seems to dissipate into the steadily settling silence.  
"I guess this is goodbye then." He says finally, words spilling from his pale lips as he refuses to meet your stare.

Thirteen years you have sat on this eroded little dock.  
Thirteen years he's been the same boy with an abrasively little glare and waterlogged honey hair.  
Thirteen years of your seaside friendship: Thirteen years of brotherhood.

Thirteen. The number which is inked upon his pale arms in elegant roman numerals.

"What…?" you ask, and find that your mouth has become dry.  
He sighs as he idly thumbs the flaking surface of the dock, worn from salt; worn from time as his eyes vacantly observe the horizon.  
"I…I think it's time for me to go, Sora." Confusion, anger and worry seems to crash upon you violently as the blond boy's eyes fall shut behind those perpetually wet lashes.  
"What are you talking about?" despite that chilling rage, your voice comes out as a whisper "What will you do when I'm gone?" The pale boy's brows crease in annoyance as he sighs, eyes hidden behind those heavy lids.  
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" This makes you pause.  
"Drugs, booze, blurred faces." He spit vehemently, incandescent eyes finally revealed to you as his gravelly voice turns cold "You don't _know_. And that's okay but the fact is..." You can all but watch as he faces the lethargic waves which seem to whisper sweet nothings to him, opaque body fraying in the hazy darkness "I'm dead, Sora. Killed myself years ago and I've been here ever since."

"…Oh" you whisper "I thought-"  
"Thought what?" he interrupts you as the stench of decay permeates the air through the pungent salty fragrance of jostling waves "Thought that I drowned? C'mon, Sora. You know better than most just how impossible that is. "You freeze. How could he possibly know?  
"Don't look at me like that." He growls though the anger falls deaf upon your ears.

Thirteen years ago when you'd helplessly watched your sister flail in the ocean's lethal grip.  
Thirteen years ago when you'd rescued her and sacrificed yourself in her place.  
Thirteen years ago when you'd miraculously survived.  
Thirteen years ago when _he'd _appeared.

"…Oh." You feel queasy as his form wavers, blurring into the scarcely lit night as he flashes you a wry smile, pearly teeth clashing with his equally pale face.  
"Yeah…" his voice seems the meld with the waves as you realise that your cheeks are damp  
"M-maybe in the next life?" your voice catches in your throat as a sincere smile breaks upon the blonds face. You never were one for reincarnation but the words feel oddly right.  
"You all say that." He says fondly, eyes creasing as he hesitantly pats your back with shaking, fading arms.

You do not ponder his words as you ignore your aching legs while his grip falls away. You can't bare to look back as you numbly hobble from the dock.  
"Sora?" his voice is far off  
"Yeah?" you don't look back. You _can't_.  
"My name's Roxas."

Though your eyes seem to burn and your chest aches, you feel your heart lift with the ocean breeze.

And when the crunch of the damp sand seems to resonate from the soles of your shoes to the tip of your dark hair, you finally turn around and for once, that rickety little dock of splintered wood is vacant.

"Roxas, huh?" you feel a giddy smile tug upon your lips "What a name."

* * *

God, I have no idea why this was in second person present tense. Like, it's such a divergence from my usual style that those who I'd asked to read it said that it just wasn't me. Oh well, the mystery of writing will forever be lost to me.

I do have my own little story about Roxas' life and death but I guess I'll leave it up to you to decide what brought about his demise. Also, it's also noteworthy that this is my first piece in a while which is within the 1k word range (and is a one shot). That was a fun experience so yeah, I guess that's it.

Please tell me what you thought of it!  
- Drew

_***Disclaimer: **In no way do I own Kingdom Hearts of the characters within the game. _


End file.
